Midlife coffee, tea drinking lessens risk of dementia

London, Jan 16 (IANS) Midlife coffee drinking can cut down the risk of dementia later in life, according to the latest findings. A study was conducted by University of Kuopio, Finland, along with Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and the National Public Health Institute, Finland.

It included participants from the survivors of population-based cohorts previously surveyed within the North Karelia Project and the Finmonica study in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987 (midlife visit).

After an average follow-up of 21 years, 1,409 individuals (71 percent) aged between 65 and 79 completed the re-examination in 1998. A total of 61 cases were identified as demented (48 with Alzhimer’s disease or AD).

“We aimed to study the association between coffee and tea consumption at midlife and dementia / AD risk in late-life, because the long-term impact of caffeine on the central nervous system was still unknown,” said lead researcher, associate professor Miia Kivipelto, from Karolinska Institutet.

The study found that coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk for dementia and AD later in life compared to those drinking no or only little coffee. The lowest risk (65 percent decreased) was found among moderate coffee drinkers (drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily).

Kivipelto also noted that “given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia / AD”, said a Karolinska release.

The study was published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.